Going to put "big tobacco" out of business.

Today I try to quit smoking completely.
In part to see if it helps with the fitness, mostly though, just for the healthy aspects of not sucking chemicals into my lungs anymore.
I used to be a heavy smoker, normally 3 but sometimes as much as 4 packs of cigarettes a day.
I was a healthy smoker though, I made the switch from Marlboro "reds" to "lights".
That was supposed to be funny. Go ahead and laugh.
About 5 years ago I started chewing nicorette gum but never gave up the smoke completely.
On a standard day I still have 4 cigarettes.
When I get up in the morning, the drive into work, at lunch , and than the drive home.
Sometimes a 5th gets thrown in there after a ride.
Unless you've smoked you don't know how good an after ride cigarette is with a cold coke.
I smoked the last one out of my last pack this morning on the way in.
I don't think it'll be that bad, I normally don't get cravings that bad for them.
I do get cravings though for this damned nicorette gum.
I'll work on quitting the gum next month.

I'm hoping that quitting the smokes completely helps with the fitness but I doubt it. The legs seem to be the weak link while I'm riding. ie; the legs give out before the cardio does.
I've heard that maybe the legs aren't receiving all the oxygen they could be getting if I didn't smoke.
We'll see.

And yes, the recent circumstances with my Dad helped me do this.
He was a heavy smoker like me but he quit about 10 years ago but not before the smoking had already did the damage to his lungs.

For fitness update;
20 miles of Rose last night with Doc, with him along you know the pace was hard the whole time.
Weight: Not sure. It keeps bouncing between 213 and 215.
The body does not want to stay under 210.